Potpourri of programs bow this month

The 'lost' episodes of The Black Donnellys have been rescued. And there are a lot of other ad opps this month as well.

Beginning Sunday, Oct. 7 at 9 pm ET, Showcase Action will present the last six unaired episodes of The Black Donnellys. The net picked up the Paul Haggis series following its brief run last spring on NBC and Global. The Alliance Atlantis digichannel has been running Donnellys since the summer, and is now hyping the final episodes of the 13×60 series which did not make it to air before the axe came down in April.

Donnellys, about Irish-American brothers who become tangled up in the world of organized crime, aired in simulcast on Global opposite CTV’s CSI: Miami, garnering audiences in the mid-to-high 400,000s. ‘There were many disappointed fans when The Black Donnellys was pulled,’ says Marni Shulman-Tucker, Showcase VP of content. ‘We want to give our viewers the chance to watch this riveting series the way it was meant to be seen – in its entirety.’ The show has somewhat higher name recognition in Canada than in the US, in that it takes its name from the infamous clan that lived near Haggis’ hometown of London, Ont., in the 1800s.

Discovery Channel will introduce Against All Odds on Oct. 12 at 10 pm ET. The new series explores seemingly miraculous stories of survival, and examines the scientific explanations behind them. ‘Falling From the Sky’ is the first episode in the hour-long, six-part series.

E! will present Tribute Bands, a new Canadian four-part documentary series, starting on Sunday, Oct. 21 at 10 pm ET. Each of the show’s weekly installments will be devoted to one of four legendary rock bands – two English (The Police and Queen) and two Canadian (Rush and the Tragically Hip). The show will follow the tribute bands these bands inspired, and feature interviews with artists and industry vets.

MySpace star Tila Tequila will choose a mate from a group of 32 straight men and gay women on the MTV reality series A Shot at Love with Tila Tequila, which premieres Tuesday, Oct. 23 at 10 pm ET. Viewers can also catch episodes at MTV.ca immediately after the broadcast, or access the show through MTV Mobile.

On Thursday, Oct. 30 at 10 pm ET, Discovery HD will premiere the three-part, hour-long series Shipwrecked Detectives. Using science and technology, expertise and teamwork, the shipwreck detectives re-create the past and dig up mysteries surrounding three legendary shipwrecks.